upper class

American  

noun

1. a class of people above the middle class, having the highest social rank or standing based on wealth, family connections, and the like.

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upper class British  

noun

1. the class occupying the highest position in the social hierarchy, esp the wealthy or the aristocracy

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adjective

1. of or relating to the upper class

2. education of or relating to the junior or senior classes of a college or high school

Other Word Forms

• upper-class adjective

Etymology

Origin of upper class

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

It also found that consumers who identified as upper class are nearly twice as satisfied with resolution outcomes compared with those in the middle, working, and lower classes.

From The Wall Street Journal

I recall a friend telling me that she brings her own silverware with her everywhere, a habit that would not have been out of place among the 18th century upper classes.

From Los Angeles Times

And Cooper's social circle now included some very upper class people indeed.

From BBC

A quick peek into butter’s rich history reveals that the humble dairy product was once a luxury reserved for the upper class.

From Salon

They were pushed by political leaders in South Korea as a high-tech modernist paradise, soon making them the most desirable form of housing for the middle and upper classes.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• aristocracy
• jet set
• upper crust